New York, Jan 20, 2026, 04:57 EST — Premarket
- Palantir shares dipped roughly 3% in early premarket action
- The UK defence minister confirmed that military data handled through Palantir stays under the Ministry of Defence’s control
- Palantir’s next earnings report is scheduled for Feb. 2, after the market closes, according to Nasdaq
Shares of Palantir Technologies Inc slipped in premarket trading Tuesday, marking a shaky start to 2026 for the data analytics company. Investors wrestled with new defense-related news while weighing the firm’s lofty growth expectations.
Palantir’s U.S.-listed shares last traded near $171, slipping roughly 3.4% from the previous session’s close, market data shows. (MarketWatch)
The move is significant since Palantir ranks among the market’s most heavily traded “AI software” names—a tag investors give to firms offering products that enable large-scale AI deployment—making the stock vulnerable to volatile shifts whenever sentiment shifts or news breaks. (Barron’s)
Overnight, focus turned to the UK as a defence minister reassured lawmakers that sensitive military data stays securely under government control, despite being processed with Palantir software.
“All data used and developed in Palantir’s software deployed across the Ministry of Defence will remain under the ownership of the MOD,” defence minister Luke Pollard stated in a parliamentary reply, as reported by UK Defence Journal. (UK Defence Journal)
Pollard stressed that “UK Defence data” integrated into Palantir’s software “remains sovereign and under the control of the MOD,” highlighting that contractual safeguards and system-level controls are firmly established. (UK Defence Journal)
Defence and government contracts remain central to Palantir’s investment appeal, though they often drag the company into political and regulatory controversies over data access and sovereignty — issues that frequently arise when governments depend on U.S. tech firms.
A weaker tone in risk assets is ramping up the pressure, as investors swiftly pull back from pricey growth stocks amid broader market jitters. (MarketWatch)
Bulls face the risk that increased scrutiny on government deployments, procurement, or data-handling rules could slow new awards, stretch out contract timelines, or force changes in hosting and auditing. Any of these could weigh on bookings before revenue feels the impact.
Traders are now eyeing Palantir’s upcoming earnings report, set for Feb. 2 after the market closes, according to Nasdaq data. Investors will be watching closely for insights on government contracts and commercial growth. (Nasdaq)
Investors are keen to see if Palantir can grow past its public-sector base amid rising competition in enterprise data and AI tools, facing rivals like Snowflake and Databricks. At the same time, it must hold onto its strong position in defense analytics. (Databricks)
